


Coconut, Coconut (Sharks In The Water)

by Happy_Mango



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Memories, Cultural References, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Batman, Dick Grayson is a Good Brother, Fluff, Gen, Hair Oil, Head Massage, Inspired by Real Events, Pakistani Damian Wayne, Parachute Hair Oil, Referenced Past Racism, Romani Dick Grayson, Slice of Life, coconut oil, tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Mango/pseuds/Happy_Mango
Summary: Both Damian and Dick find a similarity in their childhood traditions and decided to build their own tradition, together, from that.Just some sweet, sugary, fluff that I felt compelled to write.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 19
Kudos: 228





	Coconut, Coconut (Sharks In The Water)

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was heavily based on some of my own experiences which I will explain in the end notes. But, just know that yes, this is a real thing, and yes many people follow it. 
> 
> Love you guys <3 Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> The characters all belong to DC. 
> 
> (TW: Past Racism and Bullying)

When he mentioned it, it had been an accident. Damian hadn’t meant to reveal something so intimate, but it just slipped out. Him and Grayson had been talking while on patrol one slow night about some traditions they both missed after moving into Gotham, and Damian had ended up speaking about something his mother used to do for him. 

Every week, on rotation, Talia used to empty the room of all the guards and maids leaving just her and Damian. Then she would get Damian to sit on the floor in between her legs, while she was on a wooden chair. She used to take a simple bowl with warm coconut oil and would rub it into his hair. Those nights were one of the few times Talia would let down her guard and talk freely. Sometimes she would lecture about history or battle strategies, but more often than not, she used to speak about personal incidents or times so long ago that there were no records of them. 

This was what Damian had let slip to Grayson, his Batman, his trusted mentor. Because even though he trusted Grayson far more than everyone else in this place, some things you were just meant to not be shared. 

Grayson, however, to his credit, didn’t laugh or even say anything about it. (And goodness didn’t Damian know about that, the one time he’d attempted to oil his hair on his own he’d gone to school with it, and the kids had laughed at the texture, the smell. He’d managed to get through the entire day, until one boy had commented about his mother doing some kind of “voodoo magic.” Damian had punched him, and never tried to oil his hair again on his own.)

Grayson just nodded thoughtfully. “I remember my mom used to do something similar for us. My cousin John and I. I don’t think it was a Rom tradition persay, but there was an Indian elephant trainer who told my mom and aunt about how coconut oil on the hair and skin was supposed to help the baby’s health.” Grayson paused and sighed, lost in memories of his past. 

Damian tried not to express his shock as he listened. So far, he’d never met someone else who’d done that. Not that he went around asking about these kinds of things. 

“Every Wednesday night either my mom or aunt would sit down and oil both mine and John’s hair before bed.” He continued on. “It wasn’t a big deal in the circus, lots of other people did it too. No matter their ancestry, so we weren’t weird or anything. But I remember the first time I asked Bruce and Alf about it, they had no idea what it was. When I explained it, the expressions they both made…” Grayson trailed off into his thoughts, and even though he’d given a little laugh, Damian knew exactly what he’d been feeling at that moment. The surprise, the confusion, but most importantly the underlying shame that tinged his entire view everytime he thought of his family. 

The rest of the patrol was relatively quiet, nothing big happening just a few muggings and elderly needing help crossing the streets. When they got back to the cave and were slowly winding down, Damian posed the question that had been sitting in his mind since Grayson had talked about his memories. “Would- would you like to help me oil my hair?” Damian’s voice trailed off at the end with unsurity. 

But, Grayson beamed at him. “I would love to kid. Friday night’s good, so you can wash it out on Saturday morning?” 

On Friday night, Father was still in space and Drake was in San Francisco. They had the Manor to themselves, Pennyworth, too had retired for bed, so it truly was just Grayson and himself. Which, while he wasn’t embarrassed, he didn’t want to have to explain what he was doing with a jar of oil. When he got to his room, Damian found Grayson already sitting on his room with a  [ blue bottle ](https://www.google.com/search?q=parachute+oil&rlz=1C1NDCM_enUS830US830&sxsrf=ACYBGNSpWz-E1sWDBGZIq-fSNzZGc9TF7w:1577122424345&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik9PrupszmAhWUBs0KHYBkD8gQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1600&bih=730#imgrc=J2pTH_TLRNbFaM:) already in his hand staring at it. 

Damian frowned at it. “What is that? I brought the oil.” He held up a small, white tub of cooking coconut oil that Pennyworth had started to use in hopes of cooking healthier. (And less flavoured, in the hopes of reducing salt intake.)

“I know, but I was thinking last night, and I remembered that my mom used to use a specific type of oil for hair. It’s an Indian hair oil brand.” Grayson explained. “Whenever we would stop in big cities, she would always pick this up from the local Indian store for us.” He held it up for Damian to see. Damian squinted at the bottle in hand, it read  _ Parachute. _

He repeated the word in confusion, and Grayson laughed lightly saying that was the brand name. “I suspect that it might work better than the solid form that’s no doubt in. Alfred does keep the Manor fairly cold.” 

Damian twisted the lid open of the tub, and indeed it was just a solid white mass that looked impossible to scoop. “Ok. We’ll use that one.” He placed himself on the floor in between Grayson’s legs with his knees next to Damian’s shoulders. 

Grayson tipped Damian’s head forward, and poured a little bit of oil into his hair. And then began gently massaging the oil into his scalp. His fingers were thick and calloused, but that just gave an added pressure and friction. 

It was a distinctly different feeling from his mother’s fingers, but it was comforting in its own way. Something uniquely theirs, something that Damian could share with Grayson and Grayson only. 

As he worked the oil in, Grayson began to talk softly. “I haven’t done this in years you know. I think you might be the first person I’ve even talked about it to.” He eased Damian’s head back so he could get to the front of his hair. “I honestly didn’t even remember that my mom used to use this oil until we started talking about it. But then, as I was thinking about Rajasri, the elephant trainer, and how she would tell my mom to buy this specific brand that I remembered about this.” Grayson gently put the bottle down on the floor and began to simply massage Damian’s scalp. He felt himself leaning back and relaxing at Grayson’s touch. 

“You can relax, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” The elder smiled, and though Damian couldn’t see it, he could hear it. 

“Tt. I would never relax, that leaves one vulnerable.” Nevertheless, he did lean back slowly and closed his eyes briefly. 

The two of them sat in silence comfortably, with Grayson rubbing his scalp and Damian resting easily. He could feel the tension in his entire body gently drain out. “Thank you, Richard.” He whispered softly.

“Anytime Damian.” Grayson pressed a single kiss to Damian’s forehead and smiled. 

**Author's Note:**

> This entire thing was born from a tradition my family has. Every Friday night, we'll turn on a movie and get out the hair oil, most of the time coconut, but there are other types too. We use Almond, Mustard Seed, and Amla (i'm not sure what the translation would be, but Amla is a type of flower) but my dad will do my hair, and my mom does my sister's and it's very relaxing actually. The oil is supposed to help your soften and grow, like a natural conditioner. 
> 
> I know that many people in the Indian Sub-Continent follow it, and since Damian is often portrayed as being some part Pakistani, I wondered what would happen if he followed this same custom. The bullying and slight racism was not based on my personal experiences, but an older friend's. When her family moved here, she was one of the only girls in our race, and she was bullied for being different and going to school with oil in her hair, or following certain cultural customs. Luckily, by the time I was in school there were more POCs here and I didn't have to go through what she did, but I know that many people still have to do suffer through these experiences. 
> 
> Parachute is indeed a real a brand hair oil brand that I grew up using and that classic blue bottle holds a lot of memories for me. 
> 
> I hope that you all enjoyed this short lil bit!! Happy Holidays to whatever you celebrate!! And Happy New Year!!
> 
> [Tumblr](https://miniaturemangos.tumblr.com/)  
> [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/happymango03/)  
> [title, which has absolutely nothing to do with the fic itself, is from here](https://youtu.be/jFwsnrkK9sU)


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